The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-16
SPECIAL SERVICE.
The Speeches at the Congregational
Church Last Sunday--Appro-
pirate and Good.

At the Congregational church last Sunday
order. Three citizens, by special request Of
the pastor, delivered short addresses upon
subjects appropriate to the eve Of our ma
tional holiday.
The services were opened by the pastor
with reading from the forty psalm.
The 1049th hymn was then sung and the
pastor offered prayer. After making the
regular announcements the pastor spoke Of
the importance and the interest Of the day
one hundred ard eleven years ago, the
American colonies became nation. After a
few brief remarks of introduction the pas
tor announced the plan of the evenings pro-
gramme, and called upon Mr.,
A. s. POST
As the first speaker. Mr.. Post asked the
audience TO step, with him, into a northern
Minnesota town. where there was a wreck ed
freight train on one Fourth Of July. Every.
thing looked very beautiful in midsummer
in that upper country. Along the banks OF
the river they could see small picnic par.
ties, and it was a glorious and grand day
On that day the Fourth of July orators all
over this land were delivering their words
of thank sgiving that divine God had pros.
pered our republic. Everyone of them
spoke of the God of our country" said the
speaker. IL never heard of Fourth of
July Grafton without. And so long as our
country, our central government, is run in
accordance with the laws of God, just so
long will people have an abiding confidence
in the general government. Why, when
Lincoln was assassinated and the news
spread abroad, there was a fierce mob assem-.
bled, and was for tearing down something
they didn't know what and Gen. Garfield
said to them that the country wasn't hurt
only grieved, the government at Washington
still lived, and they went away satisfied
Gained. Let us trust in the God Of our faith
ers, the God Of our country. Let us enact
laws that shall be in accord with the Di
vine Law, and so preserve our country.
When we enact laws of liberty in vice-laws
of license lower our country's standard
and may some day see the fiery letters on
the wall as did Belshazzar. Let us keep our
country's sanctity and our country's nobil-
ity intact, and let the God of our country
rule"
The pastor then announced that Mr..
Frank Kendall had consented to give a
VOCAL SOLO,
And introduced that gentleman. Mr. Ken.
dali singing needs no comment from us
The piece he selected was an oratorio from
Judith. Had it been sung 10y Mr.. Kendall
in any other place than a church it would
have been vigorously applauded.
| d. b. SNOW
Was the next speaker. He took his hearers
to where Gen. Oglesby called on Lincoln one
day during the Rebellion, and wanted to
know what the Army of the Potomac was
going to do? Lincoln couldn't tell, but, con
trary to his custom, gave Gen. Oglesby
pass to 90 and see Grant. Grant said that
the army was going to move, but he couldn't
then tell just the day. Upon being asked if
he had not grave fears that the army would
be defeated if it crossed the Rappadan, he
said: "No, the Army Of the Potomac has
never fought its battles through"
This WAS the main idea that Mr. Snow
sought to impress upon his hearers-the ne
cessity of fighting every battle through to
the end. Twenty-Five years after uttering
those memorable words Grant died. The old
hero was mustered out, and went to his last
time, but those words are as true now as
then, and the idea is as grand. The battles
Of the rebellion were directed by an Advise
Providence, and we're fought through to the
end. During that one campaign there were
forty thousand brave boys killed, but their
places were rapidly filled. $50, now said
the speaker, "as we are mustered out one by
one, we want the recruits, the young people
who are TO take our places, to fight this
great battle Of right and wrong, to fight it
through to the end, and under the direction
of Divine Providence. All true life must
be individual. A nations character, a ma
tons stan ling is made up from the indivil
ual lives Of its people, and it must be by the
individual purity of our lives that our coun.
try must be maintained. The rainbow that
a few evenings since spanned the eastern
heavens was not the reflection of vast body
of water but of the myriad rain drops that
were descending to bless the earth SO the
glory Of our republic is but the sunlight of
God shining through the lives of men,
Mr.. Day then introduced the third and
la.t speaker-
MAJOR J. II. wtDMER.
Just as Major Widmer took the stand the
rain which had been threatening all the
evening came down in torrents, and it was
with difficulty that the major could be heard
at all We failed to catch his openinq words, |